Evangelion: Changes
by GunMetalSnail429
Summary: They say a bullet to the head is a quick and painless death. Ya' know, humane. Well, they were wrong. Possible rating change to M at some point for salty language and potential future naughty bits.
1. Chapter 1

They didn't know.

Hell, it had been a few months since I found out, and I still had to remind myself of it nearly every day.

To be fair, becoming immortal after having not been so for the first 16 years of your life isn't something you get used to overnight.

I still remember when we discovered my little... *ahem*... Issue.

Asuka had been a little, well... Upset would be the most appropriate term, I think.

It's been thirty years, and I can still feel that slap...

But, that's for later. Currently, I'm hunkered down beneath a flight of stairs as the Japanese Strategic Self Defense Force systematically murders everyone I know.

And they just found me.

_Shit..._

The JSSDF soldier put the gun to my head and thumbed back the hammer. I heard the click and I clinched my eyes shut, pulling my legs to myself.

He spoke right before he pulled the trigger.

"Sorry kid... Nothing personal," I think it was.

_This is gonna suuuuuu..._

There was a bang, and my head slammed back into the wall behind me. I fell over, eyes wide open. I watched as he holstered his pistol and pulled the rifle from his back. He thumbed the safety off right as his head disappeared.

_She's late..._

I watched his body crumple to the ground and fall forward as his squad mates brought up their own weapons and prepared to fire.

They never stood a chance. Not against that woman.

Misato leapt onto the first one, her knee catching him square in the jaw. He stumbled back as she shot the other one point blank in the throat.

She turned to the last one and he brought up his rifle.

_Poor bastard..._

His kneecaps were quickly eliminated, his pained howl echoing down the corridor. The rifle clattered to the ground as he fell backwards, his knees bending at an unnatural angle, the shattered bones grinding against each other.

I watched Misato holster her own weapon before slowly walking over to the man. She reached down and pulled his boot knife from its scabbard, casually running her thumb over the blade.

She climbed on top of him and knelt down, the knife clenched in her palm. She grabbed the man by the front of his tactical vest and pulled his face right up to hers. She turned her body just so, and I couldn't see his face.

She spoke, quietly, but I could still hear the words.

"Nothing personal."

Her arm jerked and the man's body spasmed a few times before going limp. She dropped him back down and stood up, adjusting her jacket as she turned to me. She walked over and placed her hand on my shoulder.

"Shinji... Are you alright?," she asked as she gently shook me.

I blinked and sat up, my brains slowly following me.

They ran down the wall and slid up my back, every drop of blood pulling themselves out of my clothes as the gray matter and chunks of skull fit themselves back together.

It was over in a matter of seconds and I reached around to feel at the back of my head. There was no hole, no blood. Only smooth, solid bone. The skin finished knitting itself back together and I went to stand.

Misato took me by the shoulder and helped me up, surprisingly calm for a woman who just killed three men and then watched her young charge's brains pack themselves back into his skull.

I absentmindedly rubbed at the back of my head, rolling my neck with an audible pop.

"I've still gotta get used to this whole 'being immortal' thing," I spoke after a few moments.

"Shinji, we've been telling you for months now... You're not really 'immortal', remember?," she said, straightening my collar, "You're still going to die someday, but from old, _old_ age, not from any outside source."

I nodded.

"Yeah yeah yeah... I know," I said as I reflexively rubbed the back of my skull again, "That hurt like a sonofabitch."

Misato went to reply when her radio came to life, Asuka's voice coming over the wavelength.

"Hey! Baka! You there?," she yelled, "Any chance I could get your assistance up here? I mean, it's not like I really need it, but I am running low on power..."

I chuckled softly as Misato replied.

"Hang on, Asuka. I've got Shinji. We're heading to Unit 01's hangar now. He'll see you shortly."

With that, she stepped aside and gestured towards the elevator at the end of the hall.

"After you, Master Ikari."

I grinned.

"Don't mind if I do."


	2. Chapter 2

_Way back when._

_Or so it seems..._

Coming to this city sucks.

It's hot, it's muggy, the friggin' telephones aren't working and, if you can believe it, there's a 200 foot tall monster traipsing around like it owns the place.

On top of all that, there's the flaming wreckage of the VTOL that just crashed down 20 feet to my left.

I think I lost an eyebrow...

I'm contemplating running when a blue Renault skids to a stop in front of me, just as the creature's foot slams down onto the aircraft.

The passenger door opens before the vehicle completely comes to a rest and a black haired woman motions for me to hop in.

I say "motions" because I'm fairly sure she said something, but I was too preoccupied with watching as physics caught up with her chest and sent her... ahem... Assets bouncing.

_Damn._

Reality smacked me in the face as a large chunk of skyscraper landed behind me and I ducked into the car. The seat belt was completely forgotten as she slammed the shifter into first and popped the clutch.

My head whipped back against the head rest and my lungs decided to take up residence on either side of my spine.

"Hi there. I'm Misato Katsuragi," she spoke once we were a good distance away from the crash site, "And you must be Shinji, am I right?"

_Hey, idiot... She's talking to you..._

"Ohh.. Uh, yeah," I replied as I shifted in my seat, "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Misato said as she lazily shifted into fifth, "So... I assume you got my message?"

I looked at her for a moment, slightly confused.

_The picture, dumbass._

"Oh! Yeah, that," I said as I dug the item in question out of my bag and unfolded it, "Here it is."

She took a look at it and smirked.

"I trust you received the other stuff as well, then?"

"Yep. My I.D. Badge and transfer papers came with the photo. So... You work for NERV?"

"Uh huh. Sure do," she said, her eyes unreadable beneath her sunglasses, "And, so do you."

"That's cool."

We sat in silence for a few minutes, until Misato cleared her throat.

"Wait... What?," I stammered out, not entirely sure I had heard her right, "I work for NERV? Since when? And how?"

Misato giggled. Well, it was more of a squeak, really. At least that's how I would learn to describe it as the days went by.

"Since you got those papers, silly," she spoke, taking the badge and transfer orders from me, "And as to the how, well, it certainly doesn't hurt that your dad is the Supreme Commander of NERV."

Right. I forgot about that.

"Mmmmkkk...," I said, the curiosity in my voice coming through loud and clear, "So, what exactly am I going to be doing at NERV?"

Misato flashed that infamous smile at me and took off her sunglasses.

It's worth noting now that I am quite proud of myself for having maintained enough control so as to not eye-fuck the hell out of Misato.

Seriously. The woman was magnificent. Everywhere that a curve should be, there was one. Every square inch of her was, well... Curvy.

If I had never met Asuka, I would have been more than willing to say that Misato was easily the most beautiful woman on the planet.

But, that comes later.

Misato pulled the car off of the road and rolled to a stop. She leaned over me _(and, with certain parts of her anatomy __**on **__me__)_ and produced a pair of what I could only assume were military grade binoculars from the glove box.

She put them up to her face and scanned the countryside around us. I finally noticed that the sounds of explosions had disappeared and I turned my head to look as well.

The monster was just cresting the large hill about three miles to our east. Misato adjusted herself in my lap and and let out a quizzical sigh.

"What is..," I began.

I then found my face buried deep within her ample bosom.

_Sweet._

"Crap! They're using an N2 mine!," she yelled as she rolled over, shielding me with her body.

My first response would have been 'What the hell is an N2 mine and wow you smell good.'

I emphasize "would have been" because that was when the entire world went white.

As it was, it came out sounding like "Mmmhmhmmhmhmhmhhmhmhmhhmhmhmh."

After the car stopped rolling, I realized that I hadn't taken a breath in about two minutes, and my lungs were beginning to burn.

Misato apparently realized this as well and released me.

"You alright, kid?," she asked as I took several deep breaths, the smell of her perfume only making the blessed intake of oxygen that much better.

"Yeah.. I, uh.. I'm good."

I noticed then that her breasts were hanging precariously over my face.

_All crew to battle stations! Dive! Dive! Dive!_

I managed to tear my eyes away just before she looked down at me.

"You think you can walk?," she asked as she removed herself from me and I realized that we were laying on the roof of the car.

"Yeah.. I think so."

I reached out and grabbed the door frame where the window used to be and pulled, easily sliding out and onto the ground.

I stood up and dusted myself off before leaning down and helping Misato shimmy her way out of the cabin. She stood beside me and surveyed the damage.

"Dammit!," she yelled as she ran her hand over the obliterated fender, "I still have 24 payments on this thing!"

"Bummer," I spoke up, trying desperately not to stare at the woman's ass as she bent down and inspected the ruined vehicle, "Maybe it'll still run, though..."

She straightened up and gave me a wry look.

"Maybe so, but a fat lotta good it'll do us if it's upside down."

I walked over and took a look of my own.

"Not all is lost," I said after a moment, "You see how it's resting on a hill of sorts?"

"Yeah, and?"

"Well, if I could find a metal pole, I think we could poss... Who are you calling?"

She looked up from her cellphone and gave me the signal to hold on.

"Yep. You got the coordinates? Good. We'll be waiting."

She flipped the phone shut and deposited it back in her jacket. She saw the look on my face and explained.

"That was headquarters. They're sending a VTOL to pick us up. It should be here shortly."

"Well then. So much for my brilliant plan I guess," I chuckled.

( ) ( ) ( )

Ten minutes and a quick run through of the emergency landing procedures of the VTOL later, I found myself staring out at the massive scar in the earth where the N2 mine had detonated. The creature, now identified as an Angel for whatever reason, was still standing in the middle of the crater.

Its skin was melted and it's "face" was cracked, but that seemed to be all the damage it had sustained.

While I sat staring out the window, something clicked in my head.

"Hey, does this creature have anything to do with me being shanghaied into NERV?"

Misato only looked at me and smiled.

_Shit._

( ) ( ) ( )

To say the Geofront was big would be... Well, it would be true. The place was enormous.

The gate that had slid open to allow the VTOL to enter was easily large enough to fit a skyscraper, and when we entered the main open area of the Geofront, I saw that that was exactly the reason why.

Several dozen buildings of varying sizes and shapes hung from the ceiling, suspended like stalactites from the roof above.

The pilot sat the aircraft down on a small helicopter pad and we disembarked. We were met by a small electric cart running on a set of rails embedded in the concrete.

A woman a little shorter than me stepped off and walked over to us.

"Welcome back, Major Katsuragi," she spoke before turning to me, "And you must be Shinji. My name is Maya Ibuki. I'm looking forward to working with you."

I offered her a small bow and extended my hand. She took it and gave one good shake before turning back to Misato.

"So, I'm assuming you've told him why he's here?"

Misato grinned sheepishly and rubbed at the back of her neck.

"Welllll, actually... The thing is, ya see..."

"So that's a no then, I take it," Maya interrupted, a small grin on her face, "Ritsuko isn't going to be happy, you know..."

"Well, Ritsuko can just deal with it," Misato huffed in reply, "Besides, she can explain things a lot better than I can. Speaking of which, where is Ritsy? I thought she was going to meet us here."

"There was an unexpected problem with Unit 01's hydraulics," Maya replied, taking her seat in the cart, "She should be about finished, though. I anticipate she'll meet you in the cage."

Misato finally noticed my raised hand.

"Yes, Shinji?"

"Ummm... What, exactly, are you guys talking about?," I inquired, "Unit 01? The cage? What's going on?"

"Just get in the cart," Misato said as she sat down behind Maya, "All will be explained in due time."

_This isn't good. Run... RUN YOU FOOL!_

I shrugged and stepped onto the cart, taking a seat beside Misato.

Have I mentioned how good she smelled?

I did? Oh, good then.

Moving on...

( ) ( ) ( )

A short ride later, we pulled up in front of a large steel door labeled "Project-E." We disembarked and I watched as the cart took off down the cavernous hallway, now driver-less.

Misato walked up to a small terminal mounted beside the door and swiped her card through.

A loud, angry beep was the only reply she received.

I heard her mumble a swear...

_It was "fuck," by the way..._

… before she turned to Maya and commandeered her ID badge, the plastic card already hanging from the Lieutenant's hand.

"Badge not working again, Misato?," a new voice asked from behind us.

I spun and came face to face with a blue turtleneck and white lab coat and...

_More boobs. _

"Shut up, Ritsuko...," Misato grumbled as she folded her arms over her chest and looked away, "You know I just got here a few weeks ago. All my authorizations are still a little buggy."

"Whatever you say," the blond woman replied before looking to me, "So, you must be the famous Shinji Ikari. I trust Misato didn't ruin you already?"

I tilted my head and stared at her for a moment, the numerous implications of that last statement swirling around in my head.

Most of them were awesome.

I realized the three women were staring at me.

Well, two of them, actually. Misato just smirked.

"You alright, kid?"

_Hey, she's talking to you again. _

"Oh, y-yeah. I'm fine," I managed to get out, "Just a little distracted, is all."

"Mmm hmm."

The following silence was... Uncomfortable, to say the least.

Finally, Ritsuko had the good sense to clear her throat and motion for the door.

"Shall we continue?," she spoke as she swiped her badge, "Time is running low."

We all took an involuntary step back as the massive blast door let out a loud hiss and a series of bangs before sliding smoothly up into the ceiling.

Judging by the copious amount of echoes that surrounded us, I assumed we were entering a very, very large room. The illusion was completed when Ritsuko flicked a switch and the door abruptly slammed shut.

The darkness overtook us so quickly it was like a physical strike. I stumbled forward, flailing my arms to try and keep balance.

Luckily for me, there was a very well padded wall directly in front of me. I firmly planted my hands and squeezed.

"Shinji, I like you. You seem like a cool guy, but the fact of the matter is, we just met."

_Oh. Oh shit._

"Oh God, Misato... I'm so sorry...," I stammered out as I retracted my hand.

There was a soft giggle from somewhere else in the darkness and I swear I heard Ritsuko snort.

"That's not funny you guys," Misato mumbled before quickly changing the subject, "Say, isn't there something we're supposed to be doing here?"

There came the clacking of feet on metal floor as Ritsuko walked over to something and flicked a series of switches.

And then there was light.

I blinked a few times and stared at the purple wall directly in front of me.

_Wait..._

I took a few steps back and quickly realized that it was, in fact, not a wall at all.

It was a face. A big, purple face.

"Is... Is that..."

Misato walked up and clapped me on the back.

"Yep. It's a giant robot," she said, "Pretty cool, huh?"

_HELL YEAH IT IS!_

"Yeah."

Ritsuko walked up and tossed a pair of small, white hair clips to me.

"You wanna know something even cooler?," Misato continued, taking her place beside the blond doctor, "You get to pilot it."

_Fuck yes._

"Wait... What?"

* * *

><p>Alrighty then. Here's uh, well... Here's chapter 2, I guess. I'm not going to try and rationalize what's going on, because that would take too much time and probably drive me to drink. Just go with it. I think I know where I'm going to take it.<p>

Maybe.

Kind of.

I dunno.

We'll just have to see.


	3. Chapter 3

**Evangelion: Changes/ Ch 3.**

* * *

><p>Damn my father.<p>

He knew I was going to pilot. He _knew _it.

He knew even before he had them wheel out that cart with that girl on it.

He paraded her in front of me. Her and and those... Those...

_Boobs_

…Those bandages covering half her face.

Hence, why I am now sitting at the controls of a 200' foot tall mech.

"Hey Misato?," I asked as I adjusted myself in the Entry Plug, "How... How's that girl doing? Is she going to be okay?"

A giggle.

"Who? Rei?," Misato replied, her voice thick with amusement, "Why do you ask? You see something you like?"

_Well, yes actually..._

"I.. No... I uhhh.. She just looked really banged up is all..."

Another giggle, followed by a smacking sound as Ritsuko whispered something about genetic similarities and crossing some bridge when we got to it.

"She'll be fine, Shinji...," Ritsuko says, "We've got the best doctors on the planet working here. Right now, you need to be more concerned about the LCL."

"The what?"

In lieu of a reply, there came the sounds of vents sliding open. This was accompanied by the sound of rushing water.

"Hey... Hey! What the hell is this?," I yelled, pulling myself out of the chair and banging on the metal walls, "You never said anything about water!"

"Calm down, Shinji...," Ritsuko spoke, "It's not water. It's LCL. You'll be able to breathe it."

"What? How can I bre...glurghhhh!"

The LCL covered my head, rushing into my mouth and nostrils. I tried to resist, to hold my breath as long as possible, but I was forced to give in.

I let out a chest full of air and inhaled the liquid, my lungs bucking and spasming as they fought to reject the LCL.

There was a slight tingle and the liquid cleared, my lungs relaxing. I took a few experimental breaths and found the sensation not unlike breathing with a fat chick on my chest.

Ummmm... Actually, ignore that last part...

"How ya doin' kid?," Misato's voice says in my ear.

_Fan-fucking-tastic._

"I'm fine, I guess...," I reply back, "My clothes are ruined, this crap tastes and smells like blood, and I'm pretty sure I'm gonna vomit, but other than that, I can't complain."

"You'll get used to it," Misato replied as Ritsuko yelled some techno babble in the background, "We would have had you a Plugsuit, but we didn't have your exact measurements. We'll have you one for the next time, though."

"Oh. Well that makes sense I guess," I reply.

_Hold it..._

"Wait... What do you mean 'Next time'? There are more like that thing up there?"

I wait for a few seconds before Misato clears her throat.

"Uhhh... Yeah... I kinda forgot to mention that...," she says.

I heard Ritsuko whisper something before Misato yelled at her to, and I quote, "Shut the hell up."

"It doesn't matter, Shinji," Ritsuko spoke up, her voice aggravated, "Like we said before, we'll explain more when you get back."

"You seem pretty confident I'm going to kill this thing...," I said.

"Yeah, well you don't really have a choice," she replied, "It's either that, or the end of all life as we know it."

_Friggin' peachy..._

"Oh, well when you put it that way..."

Misato giggled again, and Ritsuko whispered for her to shut up before turning her attention back to me.

"Alright Shinji, we're about to launch you," she said as a series of bumps and clangs rang out in the entry plug, "We're going to run through the synchronization procedures now. You may feel a slight tingle..."

"Oh... Okay..." was as far as I got before the plug lit up, every color imaginable flooding across the metal walls.

There was a pull at the nape of my neck, and I went to rub at it when my world went white.

"Stage 1 complete," I heard Ritsuko say, "Inserting plug... Now!"

The entire cockpit lurched and dropped, sliding home with a loud bang.

The pull at my neck grew stronger, and I felt it gradually crawl over my entire skull.

I heard a small sound, like a whisper.

I closed my eyes and focused my ears.

It was a woman, not Misato or Ritsuko, but a woman still. I could almost make out what she was saying...

It was such a familiar voice, but I couldn't place it.

It was like a mother whispering to her child, a sweet, gentle sound. I leaned forward in the plug, trying to make out what she was saying.

It was almost like...

Like she was calling for me.

"Stage 2 complete," Ritsuko spoke again, her voice coming from every direction in the plug, "Commence Synchronization in 4...3...2..."

I felt myself stretching, arms and legs growing to impossible lengths. My head felt like it was inflating, my senses spreading to cover every square inch of the Eva.

And then...

"Stage 3 complete... Synchronization holding steady at..."

A pause, followed by a gasp.

"My God... Synchronization is at 55% and holding," Ritsuko spoke, the sound of a coffee mug shattering in the background, "Wow, Shinji... This is incredible."

"Damn...," Misato chimed in, "Asuka is going to _love _you..."

"Yeah, I bet she will," I replied, not really thinking.

_Hold up..._

"Hey, who's Asuka?"

"EVA... LAUNCH!," was the only reply I received.

* * *

><p><strong>Alright. Chapter 3. Ummmm... Yep.<strong>

**Don't worry.**

**It'll get better.**

**I promise?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Evangelion: Changes. Chapter 4**

* * *

><p>First of all, I just want you to know that at no time in my life did I ever truly wish to become immortal.<p>

I mean, sure... We've all said, at least once, that we wish we could live forever. It's a common aspiration shared by all of mankind at one point or another in time.

Young people wish they could stay young, old people wish they could be young again. Really, it's not so much about living forever as it is being young forever.

Well, lemme tell you... Looking like a 21 year old is fine.

When you're in your twenties.

It's been 30 years since the events of back then, and I still look like I'm fresh out of college. So does Asuka. So do Toji and Hikari and Kensuke and Rei.

We all hit the peak of our physical maturity...

_And good **God **did those girls peak..._

..And then we stopped. We stopped aging like normal people.

Sure, we're going to die one day, we know this. But, we're all convinced that it will happen a long, long, _long _time from now.

As in, we may live to see the next millennium. Hell, we may live to see the next several _millennia_.

Asuka even suggested we may live to see the heat death of the universe.

"..."

Wonderful.

All of that aside, it's actually pretty cool being immortal. I mean, I can stab myself with a knife and watch as it wriggles its way out of me, the cut disappearing almost instantly.

Asuka has tried this on me numerous times...

But, as I've said, all of that is for later.

At the moment, I'm crawling over multi-ton blocks of shattered steel and concrete. My Eva is laying behind me, the massive hole in its head still smoking.

For my first battle, I guess it went okay. I mean, I'm alive and the Angel is destroyed.

Sure, there's a massive hole in the roof of the Geofront and several city blocks are flattened, but this place seems like it doesn't have to worry too much about money.

_I better be getting paid for this shit..._

I straighten and take in my surroundings.

A wall crumbles about 50 feet from me, revealing a hallway of sorts. I slide down the boulder I'm standing on and jog over to the opening.

I step over a small ledge and straight into a puddle of water. I look around, the barely lit hallway stretching endlessly in both directions.

"Hello!," I yell, the echoes bouncing down the walls and disappearing.

_Creepy ass hallways: Check._

I stand still for a moment, listening for any sounds.

There comes the sound of clanking metal from my left and my decision is made.

_Creepy ass sounds in the creepy ass hallways: Check_

I head off, my shoes squeaking and my drenched clothes sticking to every surface. I take my shirt off and toss it away, the wet slap as it impacts the wall echoing down into the darkness.

I come at length to a sign warning me of potential "Organic Radiation" danger.

Whatever the hell that means.

I push on until I come to an intersection, the hallway branching off in opposite directions.

"Crap...," I mumble, rubbing the back of my head, "Hello?"

Yet again, I listen as my voice bounces back and forth into the distance, no sounds coming in reply.

I'm about to go left when a light turns on to my right, a dim, yellow glow.

_That isn't foreboding at all..._

I still don't know what convinced me to go after that light, I really don't.

Everything in me was screaming to run the other way, but noooooo. I just had to find out what that light was.

I slowly start my way down the hall, the light slowly getting stronger.

As I got nearer, there came to me the sounds of people, a man and a woman. They were singing, I think.

I cautiously crept forward, the voices getting stronger.

I turned a corner and came to a jail cell, a single, solitary jail cell in the middle of the hallway.

A single bare light bulb hung from the ceiling, casting weird shadows on everything.

In the corner of the cell, a man and a woman were huddled together, singing some song I didn't recognize. It was jazzy, and truthfully, a bit catchy. I found my foot tapping out the rhythm and willed it to stop.

"Ummm... Hello?"

The singing stopped and the couple turned to stare at me, the woman's blonde hair stretching all the way to the floor before coiling around itself.

"Who's there?," the man asked, his arm bracing the woman, "Who is that?"

He was speaking English, of which I had only a passing acquaintance.

"Ummm... Hello there," I replied, my English coming through like a hiccuping lawnmower, "My name is Shinji Ikari and I..."

"Ikari?," they both gasped.

"Yes..."

They whispered amongst themselves for a moment before turning back to me.

"Are you... His son?," the man asked, this time in perfect Japanese.

_Father..._

"Yes. My father is Gendo Ikari and..."

They were up against the bars in an instant, their faces pressed firmly against the steel.

I staggered back, my heart skipping several beats.

"So... It's time, eh? Those creatures have finally started attacking?"

"You mean the Angels?," I asked.

They nodded as they seemed to look me over, appraising me.

"It's about time," he continued, his eyes incredibly deep, "We've been waiting for this for 20 years. Ever since your father and those old men captured and confined us here, we've been looking forward to the day they would let us out. I mean, it's not like we're going to die anytime soon, what with being immortal and all..."

_Wait. What?_

The woman elbows him hard in the ribs and he doubles over.

"You're not supposed to tell anybody about that!," she says harshly, her voice high and sweet.

He stands back up, straightening his shirt. I notice it's about 30 years out of date, an open vest with a pendant hanging around his neck. He's wearing bell bottoms and platform shoes.

The woman is dressed just as strangely, a pair of overalls with no shirt underneath and a floppy brimmed hat.

They bicker back and forth for a moment before remembering I'm there.

They turn to me and offer shaky grins.

"Sorry about that...," the man speaks, straightening up and sticking his hand through the bars.

"My name is Isaac Dian..."

He gestures to the woman.

"...And this is Miria Harvent. It's nice to meet you, Shinji."

* * *

><p><strong>Alright then. So, now you know. But not really. I know. It makes perfect sense.<strong>

**Okay, not really, but just go with it for now. **

**It'll make sense later.**

**Maybe.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Evangelion: Changes, Ch. 5  
><strong>

* * *

><p>I have to say, talking to a pair of immortals is pretty interesting. Listening to the stories of someone who has been alive since the early 1900's can easily fill up several hours.<p>

Unfortunately, I do not have several hours to fill.

Hell, I barely had time to get to know Isaac and Miria before I heard Misato calling for me.

"Shinji... We have to go," Isaac told me as he and Miria began scurrying away, opening a nearly invisible trap door in the floor of the cell, "Come back soon. We have much to discuss..."

"But how will I find you?," I call after them.

As they disappear beneath the floor, a hand sticks out and throws a roll of paper at me. I reach through the bars and grab it, the paper crinkling in my hands.

I unroll it and see the map, a hand-drawn but very detailed model of the lower levels of NERV HQ, one path in particular highlighted in red crayon.

I look closer and discover the start point is none other than...

_The hell?_

I flip the paper over and find a short message on the back, yet again scrawled in red crayon.

"Bring a jacket."

"Well that's just maddeningly cryptic..."

This is as far as I get before several men in black suits and sunglasses emerge from the darkness behind me, flashlights scanning the room.

I quickly fold the map up and tuck it into my pocket as a beam of light shines in my face.

"You!," a gruff voice sounds from the shadows, "You're not supposed to be here, kid! This is a restricted area, and I could have you arres..."

"You will do no such thing," Misato's voice sounds over the man, "This 'kid' just saved all our asses, and, on top of that, he is under my direct supervision. You will not lay a hand on him unless _I _say so, understood?"

I can practically hear the man's shoulders slump as he answers in the affirmative.

Misato walks over to me and sizes me up, her eyes scanning from top to bottom and back again.

Her eyebrow arches.

"Where's your shirt?"

I look down at my bare chest and back to her.

_Your bedroom floor._

"It was soaked with LCL and uncomfortable. So I threw it away."

She grins and sighs before rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"Alright then," she speaks after a moment, "Come one. I've got to get you back to the bridge so Ritsuko can run some tests or something on you."

I frown.

"What uh... What kind of tests?"

Misato pulls out her cellphone and smiles at me.

"Ones with needles and such."

_Wonderful._

"Well, that sounds fun," I lie as I start walking towards Misato.

She turns on her heels and begins leading me out of the hallway, her shoes clicking on the tile. She's talking to Ritsuko, their conversation hushed and hurried.

I can catch bits and pieces of what they're saying, but not enough to put together a complete picture of the conversation.

_Yeah... He's fine._

_No, he was in Section ##..._

_Nope, no cuts or scrapes._

_What the hell does that mean? _

_Wait... Who are Isa..._

_Fine! I'll ask him..._

She stops at the massive hole in which I made my entrance and turns to me, her cellphone stuck to her ear.

"Hey, Shinji...," she asks, "Did you, uh... Meet anybody down here?"

I unconsciously rub at my pocket before I reply.

"Nope," I lie again, "It was just me and the creepy-ass hallways."

Misato squints her eyes and purses her lips, examining me for a few moments.

"No, Ritsuko," she speaks at last, turning from me, "He was alone. Yes, I'm sure. Yes, I'll take him right to you."

She flips her phone shut and steps over the small brick partition, smoothly stepping down to the ground below, her skirt pulling tight over her thighs for a brief moment.

_Well... The day's not a **complete **waste..._

I follow her and she leads us to a waiting Humvee, an amazing amount of construction equipment having appeared around the hole and Unit 01.

She opens the door to the vehicle and climbs in, motioning for me to follow her. I climb in beside her and pull the door shut, the seat surprisingly comfortable for a military issue cushion.

We were well on our way before Misato spoke.

"Alright, Shinji... After these tests, I want you to meet me in the cafeteria. I have something to discuss with you regarding your living quarters."

I look at her, slightly confused.

"What about my living quarters?"

She looks to me and grins.

"Oh... Nothing."

I eye her dangerously before her phone rings, a different ring tone than before. It is an ominous sounding thing, and vaguely familiar. I scrunch my eyes trying to recall the title as Misato flips open her phone and answers it.

"Hello, Commander Ikari."

_Father..._

"Yes, I have Shinji. No, we're going to see Dr. Akagi about... Yes, he was in Section ##, I don't understand what's so importan... Yes sir. I understand, Sir. I'll have him to you post-haste."

As she flips her phone closed, the title of her ringer finally hits me.

"Misato... Why is '_The Imperial March_' your ring tone for my father?"

She rubs the bridge of her nose and sighs.

"You'll find out soon enough."

* * *

><p><strong>Alright... Some updates.<strong>

**This story is not dead. This should be obvious due to the fact that I just posted a new chapter.**

**I am, however, planning on editing it. I went back through and noticed some slight problems with verb tense and such. **

**Also, I'm planning on combining the first 3 chapters or so into one longer chapter, more akin to the series. **

**I'll probably just upload the story anew, so if you're interested in following it, just add me to you author alerts so you'll be able to see it when I do so.**

**Okay then... Having said all that, enjoy I hope you enjoyed this chapter. As always, read and review and shit and let me know what you think.  
><strong>

**See ya!  
><strong>


	6. Chapter 6

Just a little notification. I'm updating Changes and will be publishing it anew. Go look for it now! Thank you in advance.


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